Okay. It’s been a bad week.

Hurricane Ike throttled Texas, destroying many coastal towns and much of downtown Houston…and that’s not even the most shocking headline of the week!

Two cornerstone financial institutions that handily withstood the wrath of the Great Depression, lost their footing this week and folded, taking hundreds of jobs and millions, if not billions of dollars down with them. Two other Giants threaten to fall by the end of the week, without a substantial government bail out.

Unfortunately, this is not a logline for another horrible Hollywood Blockbuster.

Unemployment. Up. Gas Prices. Up.

Housing market. Down. Way down. Consumer confidence: even lower.

So what are we to do? Bury our heads in the sand? Give up?

With every challenge, an opportunity presents itself!

This week on PeopleJam, find out how to Create a Smart Budget, taking into account potential unforeseen liabilities, so these national financial crises don’t sting or shock quite as bad. If you’ve struggled financially, take the opportunity to explore a new career, getting a leg up on the competition by learning how to Perfect Your Resume in a Digital World.

Perhaps, even more importantly, you can learn how to live a more Substantial Life, giving back to those in need, and making yourself more impervious to money struggles.

Finally, browse through any one of our hundreds of products and services on better preparing yourself for a solid financial future and let us know which ones worked for you!

Matt Edelman, CEO Quote of the Week:

"If you are too close to the mighty, you'll be underneath them when they fall."